• Energy Research

Switching to energy mixes that use more non-fossil fuels is critical to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to tackle climate change. Climate change poses a major challenge to oil exporting Gulf countries, like the rest of the world, but research on human views on energy and climate change is limited. We aim to fill this gap by focusing on the UAE, a nation with a peculiar demographic composition that includes an overwhelming proportion of expatriates and transitions towards green and nuclear resources. We examine whether transiency of residence and life satisfaction play a role in influencing perceptions about climate change and energy sources. We also analyze how expatriates' opinions differ from UAE citizens who have significantly higher income and welfare benefits.

Nuclear energy is an energy source that is usually unfavourable among the public due to its inherent risks. However, it presents a number of benefits, including the possibility to reduce emissions ...

Effectively reducing climate change requires marked, global behavior change. However, it is unclear which strategies are most likely to motivate people to change their climate beliefs and behaviors. Here, we tested 11 expert-crowdsourced interventions on four climate mitigation outcomes: beliefs, policy support, information sharing intention, and an effortful tree-planting behavioral task. Across 59,440 participants from 63 countries, the interventions’ effectiveness was small, largely limited to nonclimate skeptics, and differed across outcomes: Beliefs were strengthened mostly by decreasing psychological distance (by 2.3%), policy support by writing a letter to a future-generation member (2.6%), information sharing by negative emotion induction (12.1%), and no intervention increased the more effortful behavior—several interventions even reduced tree planting. Last, the effects of each intervention differed depending on people’s initial climate beliefs. These findings suggest that the impact of behavioral climate interventions varies across audiences and target behaviors.

Abstract Nuclear energy represents an essential component of the energy mix in the United Kingdom (UK). While most of the existing nuclear plants are scheduled to be decommissioned, new reactors are in the process of being built. Looking ahead, IV generation nuclear energy technology, that aims to minimize some of the hazards of current technologies, is under research and development (R&D). This paper investigates social acceptance of IV generation nuclear energy, examining both willingness to accept (WTA) new nuclear power plants and willingness to pay (WTP) for further research of IV generation technology. Choice experiments (CE) were employed to assess WTA, while contingent valuation (CV) was used to unveil WTP. Results revealed the presence of four segments of respondents: moderate supporters, strong opposers, and two groups of moderate opposers of new nuclear power plants. Interestingly, even amongst strong opposers there are individuals willing to pay for R&D of IV generation technology. Policies aimed at fostering trust – if deserved – towards nuclear energy corporations and authorities, as well as showing tangible progress of R&D to raise confidence among the public are key to foster acceptance of this nuclear energy technology.

The planned re-introduction of nuclear energy in Italy was abandoned in the aftermath of the Fukushima nuclear accident. Twenty years earlier, soon after the Chernobyl accident, Italians had also voted against nuclear energy. However, a new nuclear energy technology, i.e. fourth generation, is under research and development. This paper investigates its social acceptance by means of a robust methodology, employing 1) choice experiments, 2) structural equation modeling and 3) information treatments within an online nation-wide survey. Results show a great deal of preference heterogeneity: the majority of the sampled respondents oppose new nuclear plants in Italy, with some not willing to accept any monetary compensation at all. However, another segment of respondents, more confident that fourth generation nuclear energy goals will be achieved, show a modest support towards the implementation of new nuclear projects. Additional variables were found to affect opposition.